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Technical assistance

Article 21 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets the legal and moral justification in favour of electoral technical assistance.

Since the 1990s, International, Regional and private organisations, such as the United Nations, OSCE, EU, IFES and other agencies became the pioneers in electoral technical support which can be defined as: “The legal, technical and logistic support to the implementation of the electoral codes, the processes and the institutions." Technical assistance consists of supporting the Electoral Management Body (EMB) with international expertise in managerial, administrative and operational tools geared towards total or partial organisation of elections.

The essential criteria of credible and transparent elections are presented by Mr T.S. Seshan, former president of the Indian Electoral Commission who declared in 1996:, former president of the Indian Electoral Commission who declared in 1996: " good elections require four elements; an election law that is fully tuned to provide free and fair elections; an election commission which is truly autonomous and fearless; administrative procedures that ensure even the smallest man and a women can exercise their franchise freely and without fear; and an electorate that is fully aware of its right and responsibility."

Technical assistance is geared towards the implementation of each of these four criteria.